💾 Archived View for gmi.noulin.net › mobileNews › 3279.gmi captured on 2021-12-03 at 14:04:38. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
One in three adults in the UK now uses a smartphone, according to a report by
the telecoms regulator Ofcom.
Apple's iPhone was said to be the most popular brand. However, teenagers
appeared to favour RIM's Blackberry devices.
The report notes that the increased uptake of smartphones has led to a dramatic
rise in mobile internet use.
Facebook was the most visited website on handheld devices, with 43 million
hours spent on it in December 2010.
Ofcom's annual Communications Market Report combines the regulator's own
research with work carried out by other industry analysts.
The 341-page document provides a comprehensive snapshot of the UK's TV, radio,
internet and telecommunications consumption.
On mobiles, it said that 58% of adult males owned a smartphone compared to 42%
of females. Among teenagers the trend was reversed with 52% of girls using
smartphones against 48% of boys.
Although Apple's iPhone was a favourite device for 32% of adults, among teens
its popularity was dwarfed by the Blackberry, which 37% of young people
identified as their preferred brand.
Trending online
Ofcom's study also looked at how people use the internet via home fixed line
connections.
Its analysis was based on a survey of 2,481 adults who have access to
broadband.
Among those who took part, the most popular task was sending and receiving
email (89%).
More people turned to their computer to do online banking (61%) than used it to
watch television (45%).
And younger people were the least likely to be worried about their privacy
while going online. Among 16 to 24-year-olds, 6% said they had concerns.
The figure rose among older users with 13% of 55 to 64-year-olds expressing
reservations.
Winners and losers
The report also examines the type of websites or online services that people
are spending their time on, based on research carried out by UKOM/Neilsen.
old radio set UK radio fared well, racking-up more than one billion listening
hours per week
The biggest growth area, between April 2010 and April 2011, was games, which
increased by 23%.
News websites took a 33% dive on the previous year, as did adult sites whose
use fell by 13%.
Away from the internet, there were also noteworthy changes around the use of
broadcasting technology.
Time-shifted TV viewing, using digital video recorders, made up 14% of all
viewing time in 2010, 1% lower than the previous year.
Sales of 3D capable televisions appeared to be relatively sluggish, with
125,000 sets sold in 2010, compared to 1 million internet-enabled TVs.
Radio fared well, according to Ofcom, as total listener hours hit 1.04bn per
week, up 2.1% on 2009.
By the beginning of 2011, a quarter of radio listening was done on a digital
platform, said the regulator.